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The Flying Pig | Asheboro - "Lets do the time warp!"

Dark, dimly lit, Journey playing on the juke box.This is my kind of place.

Just down the road in Asheboro, is The Flying Pig. I'm not sure what is with local restaurants and their fascination with pig decor, and themes, but it's apparent to me- it's these establishments that normally have the good food. Just do not, if you're a waitress, attempt to put a pig hat on my head and sing "Ziggy Piggy" while delivering my food.

Asheboro, has been ever growing its social scene since the recent legalization of alcohol. The Flying Pig has been the most prominent poster child of this movement. Known for their pizza and beer (where does the pig come in?), there's always a wait, and the place is loud and rowdy. The music is of years gone by, and the vintage video games keep kids begging for quarters, reminiscent of my childhood from the eighties. Yes, that's it. The Flying Pig is the defacto 80's pizza place. It may have taken Asheboro 25 years to get one, but they've arrived.

The question is why is this so popular? Well, the pizza which is good, but does have it's issues. There's nothing entirely spectacular about the food or the place, though the centralized downtown aspect is, in my opinion very cool. I believe the answer is that it combines many good things, to make the restaurant as a whole, something better than anything which has been available in Asheboro previously.

The bottom line is, I would go back too. The portions were huge, and the cheese was piled on to the pizza. (Cheese being the single most important ingredient on pizza.) As long as they don't stop doing that, they'll be in business for years to come. Let me be clear: it's the quantity of toppings at TFP which makes it a winner.

Loaded with toppings: this is what makes TFP a winner.

Now, the problem. The sauce tasted just like canned Prego (it's likely a "canned" sauce). The crust, while good, wasn't innovative. After reading several articles, my understanding is the owners, Dennis and Barbara Gallimore wanted to open their restaurant with their secret crust. When you read stuff like that, you expect something unique- unfortunately, it's your typical New York style pizza crust which, while unique to Randolph County, is not truly something special. Let me digress and say, it's still a great crust- just don't expect to be overwhelmed with novelty. In fact, it's very eighties. If you grew up then, and miss your childhood pizza, than The Flying Pig should be your choice. The problem is, most nouveau pizza places have moved on to delayed fermentation, and flavored crusts. Even the big-box pizza chains, butter and season their crusts. The toppings are your typical array of traditional American expectations. I'd had loved to see some Gruyere cheese, or Vodka sauce, something to indicate Asheboro had finally arrived on the foodie scene, but I didn't. Though if you want a slice of nostalgia, no one makes pizza like this anymore.

At the end of all this, I've got to say I really liked The Flying Pig. Fun times, good food, and drinking in a town which up till now had prohibition for over fifty years. If you're in Asheboro, and want one of the better pizzas in the county and some raging good times, there's only one place to go: The Flying Pig.

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